MLL officially welcomed the Ohio Machine into the fold yesterday, naming Ted Garber the team’s coach and announcing that home games in 2012 and ’13 will be played in 9,100-seat Selby Field at Ohio Wesleyan University, beginning in May.

Professional lacrosse’s arrival in Ohio has been a long time coming, league commissioner David Gross said. Columbus played host to the first game on the MLL Summer Showcase Tour — the league’s traveling platform in 2000 to gain attention for its launch the following year — and the league championship game was played in Crew Stadium in 2002.

“Major League Lacrosse was really born here in Ohio,” Gross said. “So, ‘Why here?’ should be answered as ‘Why did it take us so long, why were we kicking the tires all these years, why didn’t we just plant the flag?’ ”

In this week's rendition of AJ Versus, the Kaimin got knocked around by the Montana club lacrosse team, proving once again that reporters aren't suited for the field.

Many of you casual sports fans may wonder what happens to Washington-Grizzly Stadium after the football season, and even if you don't, just shut up and humor me for a second.

When football hits the offseason, Montana lacrosse kicks into gear. I have to admit, lacrosse is a sport that has flown under my radar; I really know nothing about the game, and it shows.

Out on the turf of Wa-Griz, Montana assistant lacrosse coach Will Freihofer helps deck me out in pads that he ordered his players to let me borrow. I grab a stick with a little net thingy on the end and try and carry the ball around. This proves insanely difficult, as I'm not doing enough "cradling" or "rocking" or something like that.

Whatever. Why walk when you can run, I figure, and jump right into the action. The team and I decide on a little simulated game play. A defender and a goalie stand between me and my goal.

The University of Montana’s lacrosse season ended Saturday in a game that was a microcosm of the season: tough to watch and full of inexperience.

The visiting Simon Fraser Clansmen, two-time defending Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League champs from Canada, blew out the Griz 27 –4. The loss kept the Griz winless in the division, landing them in last place with an overall record of 2–8.

Not long ago, Montana lacrosse was in an elite category, winning a national championship in 2007 while playing in the PNCLL Division II. After that, the Griz moved up to Division I and had a fairly successful first-year campaign.